Air conditioning apparatus



Dec. 9, 1941.

. J. L. DITZLE R' 2,265,272 I .Am CONDITIONiNGtAPPARATUS Filed 001;. 12,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITN ESSES:

INVENTOR a. JQHN L. 'DH'ZLER.

w BY 6 ATTORN Dec. 9, 1941. J. L. D-ITZLER- AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUSATTORN Patented Dec. 9, 1941 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS John L. Ditzler,Springfield, Mass assignor to Westinghouse Electric & ManufacturingCompany, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationOctober 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,534

4 Claims.

My invention relates to air conditioning apparatus, more particularly toa self-contained unit air cooler of the type that rests on the floor andis relatively tall, and it has for an object. to provide an improvedunit air cooler.

Another object of my invention is to provide a self-contained unit aircooler which. may be completely manufactured and assembled at thefactory. shipped in sections, and installed with a minimum amount ofadjustment and other servicing.

A more particular object is to provide a complete unit air coolerincluding a fully charged refrigerating system and which may be shippedin sections without breaking any refrigerant connections.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a self-contained unit air coolerembodying my invention, parts being removed or broken away to show theconstruction more fully;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the two sections of the air cooler;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the two sections of the aircooler; and,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the application of the coolingunit or section of the air cooler to a complete year-round airconditioning system for a residence or other enclosure.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I show a self-contained unit aircooler or conditioner III of the type that s adapted to rest on thefloor ill of the enclosure to be cooled or conditioned, and which isrelatively tall but of small depth in order to occupy a minimum of floorspace. In order to facilitate shipment and handling of the air cooler,which is usually of considerable size and weight, it is divided on ahorizontal plane into a lower cooling unit or section II and an upperfan unit or section l2. The air cooler is provided with a cabinet ofgenerally rectangular form, which is divided on said horizontal planeinto a lower cabinet section l3 and an upper cabinet section H, whichare associated with and house the lower cooling unit and the upper fanunit, respectively.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated and described herein, theoperating mechanisms are mounted on and disposed within the cabinetsections, the latter serving the purpose of a frame or chassis therefor.

Each of the cabinet sections l3 and I4 com-' wall, two side walls, and arear wall. The corresponding vertical walls of the two sections arecontinuations of each other so as to provide a cabinet for the completeair cooler which is unitary in appearance and character.

The entire cooling or refrigerating system is carried by the lowercooling unit II, and is disposed entirely within the lower cabinetsection l3. The latter has a top wall IS in which there is an air outletopening l6. An evaporator I1 is removably suspended from the top wall I5 by a shroud or duct member l8 attached to the top wall l5 and disposedin registry with the opening IS. The evaporator I1. is disposedhorizontally and comprises horizontal tubes l9 and plates or fins 20extending vertically and transversely of the tubes l9, and arrangedingood heat conducting relation to the tubes in order to provide extendedheat transfer surfaces therefor. Plates 2| and 22 are preferablyprovided at the front and rear sides of the evaporator in order to form,together with the fins 20 at the ends of the evaporator, a passage forflow of air over the surfaces of the tubes and the 1111's.

A horizontal partition 23 may be provided to divide the lower cabinetsection into an upper cooling chamber 24 in which the evaporator isdisposed and a lower machine or unit compartment 25. The front wall ofthe chamber 24 has an inlet opening 26 for admission of air to becooled. A grill 21 is removably mounted so as to extend across the inletopening 26. The opening 26 and the grill 21 are of suflicient capacityto pass the entire air stream flowing over the evaporator ll. However,in order to provide for admission of outdoor air or for otherarrangements, the chamber 24 may be provided with additional air inletopenings in the side walls, these openings being adapted to be closed byremovable closure plates 28.

A drain pan 29, which may rest on the partition 23, is disposed beneaththe evaporator II in order to collect the condensate formed on theevaporator by .the condensation of moisture from the atmosphere. Thecondensate is removed in any suitable manner, as by gravity flow througha conduit 3|.

Within the machine compartment 25 there is disposed a refrigerantliquefying or condensing unit 32 for supplying liquid refrigerant to theevaporator I1 and for removing vaporized refrigerant therefrom. The unit32 includes a motor compressor unit comprising a compressor The motorcompressor unit is enclosed within a fluid-tight casing 35, the latterhaving a partition 36 for forming a condensing chamber 31 in the bottomportion thereof. Water cooling coils 38 are disposed within thecondenser chamber 31 for condensing the compressed refrigerant gas.Cooling water is supplied to the coils 38 through a pipe 39 anddischarged through a pipe 39a. The condensing unit 32 is removablymounted on the bottom wall 40 of the lower cabinet section, the wall 40being preferably reinforced by channel irons 4|. Rubber mountings 42 maybe interposed for minimizing transmission of noise or vibration.

The upper fan unit I 2 is associated with or is connected to the lowercooling unit If in any suitable manner, for example, it may simply reston the top of the lower unit. The upper cabinet section I4 is providedwith an outlet opening 43 in the front wall thereof, and preferably, agrill 44 is removably'mounted in the outlet opening. The lower end ofthe upper cabinet section I4 is open so as to communicate with theopening l6 of the lower section.

A suitable type of fan for effecting flow of air over the evaporator ismounted on the upper fan unit l4 in any suitable manner. For example, acentrifugal fan 45 may be mounted on a horizontal wall or partition 46.As shown in Fig. l, the fan 45 is mounted with its shaft 41 extendinghorizontally. The fan 45 is driven by an electric motor 48 through abelt 49. Both the fan 45 and the motor 48 are mounted on and disposedentirely within the upper cabinet section M. The fan 45 draws air fromthe space below the partition 46 and discharges the same through anopening in said partition to a passage 52 in the upper portion of thecabinet.

The lower cabinet section I3 is formed with an opening 55 in the frontwall thereof to provide access to the condensing unit 32. A removablepanel 56 is provided for closing the opening 55. Similarly, the uppercabinet section I4 is provided with an opening 53 to provide access tothe fan 45 and the fan motor 48. A removable panel 64 is provided forclosing the opening 53.

The electrical connections for supplying electric current to thecompressor motor 34 include an electrical cord or cable 12, comprisingthe required number of electrical conductors, a junction box I3, asecond cord or cable 14 and a plug of any suitable known type forconnection with any suitable electrical receptacle that may be providedin the wall of the room or enclosure in which the air cooler is placed.Electric current is supplied to the fan motor 48 in a novel andadvantageous manner. An electric receptacle [6 is carried by the lowerunit ll, being preferably mounted in an opening in the top wall l5, andis connected, at the junction box 13, to the cord or cable 14 thatsupplies current to the compressor motor 34. The upper unit I2 isprovided with a cord or cable TI connected at one end to the motor 48and at its other end to an electrical plug 18 which is adapted to bereadily plugged into the receptacle [6 when the upper unit [2 isassembled upon the lower unit I I, and to be readily disconnectedtherefrom. Suitable control mech-.

anism for the compressor motor and the fan motor may be interconnectedin the electrical circuit at the junction box 13. It will be seen,therefore, that only one connection from the unit air cooler to a sourceof electric current need be made.

To install the above-described unit air cooler, the lower unit I l isfirst placed in the desired position, resting directly on the floor, andthe required electrical connections, water supply and dischargeconnections and the drain connection from the drain pan 29 are made. Theupper unit I2 is merely placed on the lower unit H to form a completeunit air cooler as shown in Fig. 1.

The refrigerating system operates in the usual manner of such apparatus.The expanded refrigerant gas is compressed by the compressor 33,conveyed to and condensed in the condensing chamber 31, conveyed throughand expanded in the expansion valve 51, then conveyed through the tubesof the evaporator IT, in which it is vaporized by the heat absorbed fromthe air passing over the surfaces of the tubes and the fins of theevaporator. It is then returned to the compressor to be recirculated.

The air to be cooled, which may be air from the enclosure in which theair cooler is disposed, enters through the inlet grill 21 disposed inthe inlet opening 26 and flows underneath the evaporator I 1, thenupwardly over the surfaces of the tubes and the fins of the evaporator,through the shroud or duct member l8, then passes from the lower sectionto the upper section, thence to the fan 45, from which it is dischargedthrough the passage 52 in the top of the cabinet section l4 and throughthe grill 44 positioned across the outlet opening 43.

It will be apparent that each of the units or sections of the air coolermay be shipped as a complete unitary structure, all of the parts carriedby each unit being disposed entirely within the associated cabinetsection. The entire refrigerating system being carried by one unit, itis possible to fully charge the system at the factory where suitablefacilities for accurately and properly charging the system areavailable. It is not necessary, therefore, to break any refrigerantconnections in order to ship the air cooler in separate units orsections. This is of great advantage in installing the air coolerinasmuch as it is only necessary to make the plumbing and electricalconnections, which may be more readily done. It is not necessary tocharge the system nor to make refrigerant connections, both of whichinvolve danger of getting air or other noncondensable gases into therefrigerating system and of losing refrigerant.

An important advantage of the present construction is that the coolingunit may be utilized in various other applications. For example, it isideally suited for addition to a previously installed heating systemwhich already includes a fan or blower. Referring to Fig. 4, there isshown a heating installation including a return air duct 1 6|, a blowerand filter unit 62,,a heating unit 63 and an air supply duct 64. Theheating unit 63 may be of any suitable type and may include humidifyingapparatus. The blower and filter unit 62 includes a fan adapted toeffect flow of air from the return duct 6| through the unit 62 and theheating unit 63 to the air supply duct :4. The unit 62 preferably alsoincludes a filter This existing installation may be readily adapted toaid cooling and dehumidification of the air by adding a cooling unit Hconstructed as described above. Only very minor changes are required.The inlet grill 21 is omitted and a branch duct '61 is connected betweenthe supply duct 64 and the inlet opening 26. A branch duct 68 providescommunication between the discharge opening it and the supply duct 44 ata point further downstream. For this purpose, a modified form of topcover Ilia may be substituted if desired. A damper 69 is provided in thebranch duct 61, and a damper II is provided in 5 the portion of the airsupply duct 44 that is parallel with the cooling unit ll.

To provide cooling, the damper II is moved to closed position and thedamper 69 to open position. The operation of the refrigerating sys- 1otern incorporated in the cooling unit II is effected while the heatingmechanism of the unit 63 remains inactive. The blower 65 operates todraw air from the return duct 6|, through the heating unit 63 withoutchanging the tempera 1mm thereof, thence through the branch duct 61,

through the cooling chamber 24 of the cooling unit ll, through thebranch duct 68 to the air supply duct 64 at a point beyond the damperll.

As the air passes over the surfaces of the evap- 2o orator 11 in thecooling chamber 24, it is cooled" and dehumidifled thereby. To provideheating, the damper i8 is closed and the damper 'H is opened. Operationof the heating mechanism in the unit 63 is'eifected, 5 while therefrigerating system of the cooling unit II is rendered inactive. Inthis case, the air is heated as it passes through the heating'unlt andflows entirely through the air supply duct- 64, the flow through thechamber 24 of the cooling unit I I being prevented by the closed damper.69.

It is to be understood that, in any respect not dealt with in thespecification and drawings, the,

apparatus may be constructed similarly to apparatus of the same generalcharacter heretofore known. For example, heat and sound insulation maybe provided wherever needed, the refrigerating apparatus and the fan maybe controlled in any suitable manner, and the several component partsmay be of any suitable construction.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible ofvarious changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire,

.fan mounted in said upper section, a motor connected to the fan fordriving the same, said motor being mounted in one of said sections, saidlower section having an air inlet and said upper sec-- tion having anair outlet, said sections, evaporator and fan being constructed andarranged for flow of air from said inlet, over the evaporator, from saidlower to said upper section to said fan and thence to said outlet, allof the parts carried by each of said sections being disposed entirelywithin the section, whereby said sections with the parts mounted thereinmay be readily shipped as separate unitary structures without breakingrefrigerant connections.

-,2. .A self-contained unit air cooler as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe fan and the driving motor are mounted in the upper section withtheir shafts disposed horizontally.

3. A self-contained unit air cooler as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said sections is of substantially rectangular form and thecorresponding vertical walls of the respective sections are aligned toform substantially continuous vertical walls of the cabinet.

4. A self-contained unit air cooler as set forth in claim 1 wherein thelower section is provided with a horizontal partition dividing the sameinto an upper compartment and a lower compartment, the compressor andthe condenser being mounted in the lower compartment and the evaporatorbeing mounted in the upper compartment, said air inlet communicatingwith said upper compartment.

JOHN L. DI'IZLER.

